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The summer before her sophomore year at Seton Hall, Kayleigh Ellison suffered a seizure. The diagnosis: a brain tumor. After surgery, Ellison returned to school and earned her degree. But as she looked ahead to law school, she realized something was missing in her life.

University of Delaware senior Kate Sneddon doesn’t let her cystic fibrosis pull her away from her passions. She tried backing off sports in college, but boredom led to rowing – and the discovery of a new love.

Mike Kroll started Manchester University’s swimming and diving program a year ago after a decade of finding success as a coach and swimmer. With spastic cerebral palsy, Kroll’s goal as a swimmer wasn’t to win a race but to make himself better and meet his personal goals every day.

Helen Putriment, set to graduate in December with a nursing degree from The Sage Colleges, wrapped up her volleyball eligibility last year at age 30. Her student-athlete path awaited her when she was 17, but she did not start college until 10 years later.

With a career record of 657-124-61 and two Division III national championships, Jay Martin is the winningest men’s soccer coach in the NCAA. His team plays home games at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex, but in soccer, he says, the coach’s job is to stay out of the way.

Now the head rowing coach at Barry University in Miami, Boban Rankovic was an assistant when the team was runner-up at the 2013 NCAA Division II Rowing Championships. Ethnic conflict formed the backdrop of Rankovic’s childhood in the former Yugoslavia.